Covered California Reports More Than 728,000 Signups

SACRAMENTO (CBS / AP) — California’s health exchange is more than halfway toward meeting its original projection of 1.3 million sign-ups for individual insurance policies by the March 31 enrollment deadline, according to federal data released Wednesday.

The report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services shows that slightly more than 728,000 people have selected a health insurance plan through Covered California, as the state marketplace is known. That includes those who already have begun paying their premiums and those who have not.

While California leads the nation in sign-ups, enrollment remains slightly behind the number projected last year by the Obama administration, which estimated 806,000 Californians would enroll in plans by the end of March. Just six weeks remain until the end of open enrollment.

Covered California declined to comment on the details contained in the Wednesday report, referring inquiries to its public relations firm, Ogilvy Public…